Editor's Pick
Benson and Mike are two young guys who live together in Houston. Mike is a Japanese American chef at a Mexican restaurant and Benson's a Black day care teacher, and they've been together for a few years—good years—but now they're not sure why they're still a couple. There's the sex, sure, and the meals Mike cooks for Benson, and, well, they love each other.
But when Mike finds out his estranged father is dying in Osaka just as his acerbic Japanese mother, Mitsuko, arrives in Texas for a visit, Mike picks up and flies across the world to say goodbye. In Japan he undergoes an extraordinary transformation, discovering the truth about his family and his past. Back home, Mitsuko and Benson are stuck living together as unconventional roommates, an absurd domestic situation that ends up meaning more to each of them than they ever could have predicted. Without Mike's immediate pull, Benson begins to push outwards, realizing he might just know what he wants out of life and have the goods to get it.
Both men will change in ways that will either make them stronger together, or fracture everything they've ever known. And just maybe they'll all be okay in the end.
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR
A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK
Named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, TIME, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, Vanity Fair, O, the Oprah Magazine, Esquire, Marie Claire, Harper's Bazaar, Good Housekeeping, Refinery29, Real Simple, Kirkus Reviews, Electric Literature, and Lit Hub
“A masterpiece.” —NPR
“No other novel this year captures so gracefully the full palette of America.” —The Washington Post
“Wryly funny, gently devastating.” —Entertainment Weekly
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2021 was a phenomenal year for most of us, although some would like to forget it. We hope that our magazine brought a little joy to those affected by sadness, and we pray that happiness finds you in the year ahead. This month's issue is starting with a bang. Ernest Owens, president of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, is this month's feature. He sits down with Charlotte Young Foye to discuss his role with PABJ and their important work, his podcast "Ernestly Speaking," and some of his most memorable experiences as a journalist. Haikeem Stokes interviews the extraordinarily gifted Elissa Gabrielle, and Shonda Mayes helps us clarify and execute our goals in the new year. Of course, we have our usual staples, Charlotte's Closet, Who’s Next, and WTF with Erick Gray. We thank you for all your support, and we are looking forward to showcasing many more of you in 2022 and beyond.
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